Hayfever and asthma

Anyone else suffering? It's just miserable this year. Last year I had barely any symptoms so this year appears to be making up for it.

I get hayfever related asthma which only occurs during spring/summer and totally disappears for the rest of the year. Last year I didn't use my inhaler once. This year I had to start using it. Normally one inhaler gets me through the whole of summer easily, they go out of date before they run out. This year I've been using it frequently during day (usually only need it once before bed) as I am coughing non stop and my chest is tight.

Last night at 10pm, my inhaler ran out I was shocked as I've never had that happen before. struggled to sleep with a very tight chest and hacking cough. Woke up several times, by 4am was getting a bit panicky so called the out of hours doctor who said the only way to get an inhaler was to go to A&E

I HATE our local A&E with a passion but I was so uncomfortable, off I toddled. Over TWO hours later I finally got my inhaler Now I know while I was incredibly uncomfortable and a bit wheezy, I wasn't struggling to breath so bad that I was an emergency. However given that all the doctor had to do was sign a prescription and I was in and out in 2 mind flat, well I had hoped that I might be seen a bit quicker as it was a easy thing to sort. There were only 2 other people there who also seemed to be waiting forever, I didn't see any emergencies come in. I'm surprised they thought I was ok to leave someone sitting there for 2 hours struggling to breathe Even if they just given me an inhaler to relive my symptoms while I was waiting (although prob had to be seen by a doctor first), but it was horrible.

Finally got home about 7am and went back to bed to get a few hours sleep. Chest still isn't totally loose, I guess that comes from being tight for over 9 hours without treatment Going to book to see my GO next week as this clearly isn't under control this year, plus I was a spare inhaler.

Sick of blinking hayfever, blight of summer. Went and bought one of those silly light up red light theraphy things in desperation today. Reviews online are good. Am hoping if I can get the allergy under control, the asthma will ease.

Sooooo tired....

Oh that's bad practice they should have put you on a nebuliser while you waited at least do you not get on with anti-hystamines?? I have to start my son on them in feb-mar because he is allergic to tree pollen, maybe you need a preventer inhaler as well as a normal (blue) one that you use daily if needed or not while your symptoms are bad, either way I hope you get some relief, it is awful not to be able to breath

I take daily antihistamines. I've tried a couple of different types over the years, they don't seem to have any real effect but I take then just in case! I'm also on eyes drops, nose spray and blue inhaler when required. I am going to ask my GP if I might need a preventer inhaler as the reliever just isn't helping this year

That's a shame they don't work My son has a preventer with steroids in it to keep his airways open as he was hospitalised several times as a youngster and had pneumonia as a 3 yr old And as long as he takes it daily without fail his asthma is fine and under control x

Goodness, sounds like you and your son have had a rough time with asthma I'm not keen to take a steroid inhaler BUT it's got to be better than what happened last night, plus hopefully I'll only need to take it over spring/summer so I'll see what the GP says. Thanks for your reply

No help I'm afraid but hope you're feeling alright

No idea if it really works but I used to suffer terribly from hayfever and my mum was told to try local honey. The idea is you're ingesting the local pollens so your body can build an immunity. Have to say, I've never suffered hayfever since so it might be worth a try?

Also have you tried a break from the antihistamines to see if it helps? My mum was suffering with her sinuses/allergies a lot recently so taking antihistamines regularly. She started to get this cough and said her breathing felt horrible, was umming and ahhing going back to the doctor but she happened to forget an antihistamine for a couple of days and felt loads better. Again, could be a coincidence but something to consider?

I don't think the brown inhaler they start you off on has steroids or if it does it's in very low amounts, my son is on a purple coloured one as the brown one wasnt working for him, he needed the steroids, in fact if he has an episode that the inhalers do no good for he gets 5 days of prednisolone (sp) which starts working within 8 hours and he feels tons better after that, not ideal but it beats not breathing x

Thanks guys, will definitely talk the GP about a preventative inhaler. Karly, I have heard that local honey thing but was unsure a) how " local" it needed to be or b) where to get any. I know you're supposed to start months before summer too to get the full effect. I think about it every year then forget! I should try to track some down. I've been thinking about giving the antihistamines a break too as they don't seem to do anything anyway plus I want to gauge whether this ridiculous light up thing is doing anything other than making me look like Rudolph

Never heard of the red light so you'll have to let us know if it's any good